The Pill

I wish I had started on the pill. I went on Depo first, huge mistake. I went on the pill immediately afterwards to try and get some periods and have them be regular. The fiance and I are very careful about using condoms so for me right now, the pill represents my ability to have a period only every 3 months (I'm on Seasonique). I guess it also represents that I get to choose when to start having children, but accidents do happen. My cousin's result is in the 3rd grade right now I believe, lol.

After being on various forms of BC over the years I am totally off all hormonal and non hormonal BC, I now chart my temp and cm. I have heard too many horror stories in the last year or two about birth control and its effect on fertility, hence my coming off it.

For me, the pill has always been around. It was logical to get it when I started having sex and some of my peers were already on it for different reasons by that time so I was sort of a late bloomer. By the time I was looking for birth control options, the pill had become the norm and sort of the.. "old fashioned" method. I definitely was not awesome at taking my pill on time and am surprised I didn't get pregnant during the time that I was taking the pill. Despite its issues, I am still relieved to have my IUD instead of taking the pill, now.

I took it a few different times in my life, mainly for hormone therapy to control periods. I am always so out of whack! And it does rather well for that. Also now there are so many ones out there. I still want to try the pill that gives you only 3 periods a year. Has any used that? How has it affected you?

Also, I have had an IUD and the results were terrible. I still do not think I am back to normal! I had an ectopic pregnancy while the IUD was in place. I had to have surgery, and three wonderful scars later I attest that it is a terrible choice of birth control. After having my IUD removed, I wanted another child. And I do not know if it was the cause, but I had 5 miscarriages, and still am unable to keep a pregnancy. Eventually I gave up. And my periods are so irregular now. I would never recommend the IUD!

I stared with the pill to control my periods and of course it was wonderful for BC. Unfortunately, I suddenly reacted negatively to hormones and now using condoms. I have been thinking seriously of an IUD but after AKAme experience, above, and others I am holding back.
With the right fitting condom and consistent use, they work for us. But do I desire to feel bareback sex? Yes,yes,yes.

It's a godsend - it keeps me from being a gorgon once a month, gets rid of those ghastly cramps that would lay me up for two days straight, minimizes overflow, eradicates my adult acne, and prevents me from getting pregnant (I love my best friend dearly, but I do NOT want his spawn).

Back in the late 60's, my mother was a strong advocate for the Pill and was the person everyone in her school went to for rides-to/advice-about Planned Parenthood. I believe she was personally responsible for preventing most of her female graduating class from getting pregnant.

Funny thing ... she wasn't too keen on putting me on the Pill, even though my periods were hellacious back then. I had to get it done myself the first few years of marriage (when I thought my husband and I would eventually have sex), then recently when I decided to fix my period problems. Although she had mentioned (recently) that if I was sexually active as a teenager, she would have taken me to get it done. I suppose she's rather old-fashioned about that part of its usage.

I love the Pill.

If you had asked me that a few months ago, I might not say the same. I spent two years on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo and then Yaz, and they were terrible. I began to get migraines every single month. And then I found Seasonique. I only get my periods four times a year, and the same goes for my menstrual migraines. I know I sound like one of those silly ads, but it's the truth.

Just make sure that you don't always listen to your gynecologist. That's what Google is for.

I could not cope without my birth control. I take YAZ with an additional dose of Prozac to keep my PMDD in check. It's not negotiable. If I had to pay for it, I'd probably give up food money for it lol.

I definitely remember life without the pill. Found out my husband and I can make babies whenever we want. Found out what it's like to all of a sudden want to punch a wall and then start crying hysterically wondering why I wanted to in the first place. It wasn't much fun

The pill was around when I was in high school, but the only people I knew who used it were married women. This was mainly because you had to have your mom take you to get it (and thus tell her you were having sex) plus have a full physical. We all just used condoms instead. When I was in my 20s, there was a span of about 3 years where I tried various pills and the Norplant system, but the side effects were ridiculous so I went back to condoms.
For me, the birth control pills= feeling too sick to have sex.